Walpurgis

Dumbledore didn't answer. He looked directly into Skylar's eyes and said, "Skylar, you've heard of the Knights of Walpurgis, haven't you?"

Skylar paused for a moment, then nodded knowingly. He was so clever that he had guessed Dumbledore's meaning in a short time.

"Professor, you mean...?" Skylar asked, " that the Hohenheim Family has connections with the Knights of Walpurgis?"

"So you do know about the Knights of Walpurgis," Dumbledore's eyes gleamed. "I've been observing this organization for a long time. At first, I thought they were followers of Voldemort because of their many unknown connections with the Pure-blood families of Great Britain, but my intelligence network tells me—"

"The Knights of Walpurgis existed long before Voldemort was born, and they left traces of their presence in the global wizarding wars of the early 20th century (led by Grindelwald)..."

"I relentlessly pursued the investigation and discovered that its shadow loomed behind many major international events of the last century, and even earlier... including the Goblin Rebellion of the 18th century, the Italy Civil War of the 17th century, and the Vampire Royalty's extermination war of the 15th century... It was like a venomous snake hiding behind layers of darkness, baring its fangs, ready to strike at any opportune moment."

"Although I lack strong and conclusive evidence, I have many reasons to believe," Dumbledore said solemnly, "That the Pure-blood families of Great Britain are merely the tip of the iceberg. Many ancient Pure-blood families in Europe, North America, and even Africa are likely members, and among them..." Dumbledore paused for a moment before continuing gravely, "... the Hohenheim Family and Moreau Family are among them..."

I see!

The things the two of them were talking about—the pursuit of power, the six great books—were just appetizers.

The topic we're discussing now is the reason the white-bearded old man summoned him today.

Skylar scoffed. "Professor, you know the 'Ghosts Society' at Hogwarts, right? They're an underground student organization that evolved from the will of the Knights of Walpurgis. Speaking of which, they have a little grudge against me!"

Dumbledore's eyes suddenly became unreadable; the name "Ghosts Society" reminded him of Voldemort...

This organization was originally called the Knights of Walpurgis at Hogwarts, Voldemort's organization for training potential Death Eaters. However, after being suppressed by Armando Dippet and his two headmasters, it was renamed the Ghosts Society. Over the years, it had long since disappeared, but unexpectedly, it had already made its move without his knowledge.

He sighed.

It seems I really am getting old.

He suddenly felt a bit weary. Harry's growth was far from what he had expected—should he continue to place all his hopes on that Prophecy from years ago?

"I haven't even gone looking for trouble with them yet, and they..." Skylar's voice suddenly turned cold, "Since they dared to come knocking, I can use this competition to let them know that the House of Malfoy is not to be trifled with..."

In Skylar's mind, he was 99% certain that these two beautiful female Champion were after him. After all, the original story clearly stated that his opponents were Krum and Phoebe!

And he himself happens to be the biggest variable in this world. Unless there are other unknown transmigrators in this world, the only one who can cause the original plot to fall apart is himself.

The question is, what is the purpose of the Knights of Walpurgis coming after me?

The Ghosts Society had messed with him, but he hadn't retaliated. Gemma had attacked him, but she had clearly held back, and had even deliberately revealed a lot of information beforehand—although they were no longer friends, Skylar wasn't particularly interested in seeking revenge.

As for the Knights of Walpurgis Hogwarts, which were scattered throughout Europe, he had never even touched them.

What did I do to deserve such hatred that these two families, who have been lying low for centuries and are used to maintaining a low profile, would choose this moment to reappear in the public eye?

He considered a possibility.

Unless...

For Skylar at this moment, figuring out the other party's motives was of paramount importance. And he already had a tentative guess in his mind.

"Skylar, don't be careless," Dumbledore said. "How many Pure-blood families are involved behind Walpurgis, and how much power they possess, remains a mystery. The global wizarding wars of that time involved at least Pure-blood families from Great Britain, France, Germany, and Austria..."

"If it weren't for these wealthy and powerful families contributing both money and manpower, this war wouldn't have dragged on for so long, spreading throughout Europe and even North America..."

"Just after the Acolytes' forces were defeated, it was thought that Walpurgis would be severely weakened, but unexpectedly, only a few decades later, they reappeared in the war waged by Voldemort..."

"This power's foundation is probably much stronger than we imagine," Dumbledore's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Even if one day its history is traced back to the era before Hogwarts was founded, I wouldn't be surprised."

"But right now, the more important thing is for you to understand the current situation," Dumbledore said. "Now that you know the details of the other two Champion, I'm relieved. Don't be careless, and don't be reckless. If you encounter danger during the match, be sure to withdraw in time to protect yourself..."

"Don't worry, Professor," Skylar chuckled, "You should leave those words to Potter! I feel he needs to understand this more than I do."

Dumbledore didn't engage with the topic of Potter; his expression remained so profound that it was impossible to discern his thoughts.

He blinked. "Back to our previous topic," Dumbledore said, "Most of the other six Wonderful Books are missing..."

"The Book of the Druids was lost along with the Druid civilization," Dumbledore said. "The Book of the Dead Covenant mainly deals with necromancy, and I suspect it's with the Necromancer Guild in Transylvania, a mysterious underground organization that only recruits wizards who practice necromancy, and many of its members are Vampire and Zombie."

"The Abatair is divided into eight volumes. Apart from the volume I have, I don't know where the other volumes went. But I've heard that the Witte Family, a hidden family that has been in seclusion for centuries, seems to possess two volumes of the Abatair. They also seem to be following some kind of ancestral precept, trying to complete the collection of all eight volumes."

"The Book of the Phoenix is in my hands. It is the core heritage of my Dumbledore Family, and it is because of it that I was able to gain Fawkes's loyalty."

Fawkes is the name of the Phoenix that Dumbledore kept as a pet. Dumbledore is the only known wizard in the Wizarding World to have Phoenix as a pet, and this is the reason behind it.

"The last book— Dark Apocalypse —I've never known its whereabouts, but I have a strong suspicion... I suspect it's with Voldemort. His Voldemort and bizarre abilities likely originated from this book... As for where he obtained it, I truly have no idea..."

Interesting.

Have new forces or new families emerged?

The Dumbledore Family... The Witte Family... The Necromancer Guild...

Perhaps because he was used to it, this time, Skylar's heart was no longer stirred by anything.

The well-informed Skylar certainly knew that long-standing wizarding families were not limited to the Sacred Twenty-Eight.

He had always known that there were some low-profile and mysterious families in the wizarding world who were not well known to the public. Although these families were not famous, their heritage and foundation were by no means inferior.

The fact that the Dumbledore Family has a lineage of taming Phoenix is already incredibly enviable.

Skylar, who was familiar with the plot, knew that Dumbledore was probably hiding something—the legacy of the Book of the Phoenix was not limited to this. In the second Fantastic Beasts movie, Dumbledore clearly stated that his family's bloodline allowed them to form intimate bonds with all magical birds, including the powerful Phoenix, Thunderbird, and Hoo-hoo, as well as the weaker but uniquely capable Diricawl, Golden Snitch Flying Bird, Jobberknoll, Augurey, Murtlap, and so on.

The Potter Family, for example, traces its lineage back to Linfred in the 12th century. On the surface, they are the Potions family that invented Skele-Gro (the potion that regenerates bones), Pepperup Potion (the potion that makes you smoke when you treat the flu), and Sleekeazy's Hair Potion (the one Hermione used at the ball). Although those patents allowed the family to accumulate a lot of wealth, these patents were either sold off or had long since expired, leading outsiders to believe that the family could only live off their wealth.

But what is the reality? Linfred's eldest son, Hadwin Potter, quietly married the granddaughter of the third of the Peverell brothers, thus inheriting the Cloak of Invisibility.

Therefore, it is not surprising at all that there are hidden families in the wizarding world.

"Alright," Dumbledore handed the book to Skylar, "take it, boy! You need it, and I need you to believe in your headmaster—"

Dumbledore winked mischievously and said, "Let this book be the beginning of our building trust!"

Skylar accepted the book. The Abatair was of great help to him. The first three volumes alone were enough to increase his strength to what it is today, not to mention that he was currently studying Transfiguration. The Abatair Transformation Section came at the perfect time.

[Abatair Volume Four obtained!]

"That's all I wanted to say to you today," Dumbledore concluded. "Do you have any questions for me?"

After thinking seriously for a while, Skylar asked, "Professor, I would like to ask you, is there no way to break the Fidelius Charm?"

Dumbledore paused slightly, then said after a moment, "Yes, unless the Secret Keeper leaks the secret, it's absolutely impossible to crack. Why did you suddenly ask about this?"

Skylar replied solemnly, "I've found the truth about Meredith's abduction. The Shadow of the Magic Dragon is actually an organization preserved by the Black Witch Morgan le Fay from the tenth century—I already know that le Fay cultivated the Magical Creatures Animagus, so her soul cannot be extinguished, and Meredith, strictly speaking, is her descendant, who can be used as a vessel for her resurrection."

Dumbledore frowned deeply and said, "Is it a spell of possession? This..."

"That sounds quite tricky!" Dumbledore said seriously. "There are many forms of Dark Arts that involve possession, but most can only temporarily attach themselves to a vessel, because the incompatibility between the vessel and the soul easily leads to rejection... As far as I know, there is only one way to truly fuse with a host's soul—"

"Bloodline Fusion."

Skylar asked urgently, "Then, Professor, what will happen after they're merged? Will Meredith's soul still exist?"

"I'm sorry, Skylar," Dumbledore said softly, a hint of reluctance in his eyes. "The souls of the strong will devour the souls of the weak. If your information is accurate, if the other party truly is the Dark Witch from a thousand years ago—without a doubt, Meredith's soul will be devoured..."

Although he was somewhat prepared, Dumbledore's answer still hit Schelling like a bomb, sending a chill down Skylar spine.

Dumbledore looked at Skylar's extremely ugly expression and couldn't help but reveal an extremely complicated look in his eyes. He could see it, and was confident that he was not mistaken, that although Skylar was expressionless, the fleeting sadness in his eyes was genuine.

This child is not Voldemort.

No matter how amazing a child's performance may be, he is still just a child.

At the same time, he had other doubts: how did Skylar take that step...? Could it be... that he had completely guessed wrong...?

Did he not sever the ties that bound his soul at all?

Another, even more absurd thought uncontrollably arose: had this child embarked on another magical path? Was that even possible?

"The good news is," Dumbledore said gently, reassuring Skylar, "Bloodline Fusion magic is a very time-consuming spell, requiring both a physical transformation and a soul fusion process..."

"Body transformation means allowing the body to adapt to the new soul. During this stage, the body will continuously change, and its appearance will become increasingly similar to the resurrected person's original appearance, but it will not be exactly the same. Instead, it will become something between the resurrected person and the host. The soul fusion stage requires the resurrected person to devour the host's soul and use the power within the soul to take over the host's body."

Skylar spoke with difficulty, "Professor, just tell me, how much time do I have left?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't be sure either. It depends on how long Meredith's will can resist her—" As if unable to bear seeing Skylar any longer, he looked up at the small light on the ceiling. "But I think you'll have at least a few more months!"

Skylar didn't know how he said goodbye to Dumbledore or how he got back to his dormitory.

He, who was usually wise and calm, seemed to have lost his soul, and was in a daze.

He hadn't changed his clothes; he lay on the bed, his eyes vacant, staring Dazed at the ceiling.

He dared not close his eyes, for he feared that if he did, he would see Meredith's heartbroken face.

Suddenly, his magic seemed to come alive, surging into his mind, making his mind go cold and bringing him back to his senses.

Skylar couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of this magic. It could even protect itself and warn its host on its own. A similar situation had occurred when Merlin tried to amplify his greed and tempt him to take the magical artifact.

He clenched his fist and said to himself, "Meredith still has time, I can't give up!"

He gathered his thoughts.

Meredith's location is most likely at the Shafiq Manor, and that place is unsolvable unless the Secret Keeper leaks the information—a fact confirmed by both Dumbledore and Voldemort.

If we can't go in, then we have to lure the person out.

The three known members of the Shadow of the Magic Dragon are: Moody, Madam Zabini, and Lady Selwyn.

Moody is untouchable because Moody might be involved in Voldemort's plans, which would complicate matters.

"So," Skylar's eyes Winky, "That means Madam Zabini and Lady Selwyn..."

A plan immediately formed in his mind.

But before that, he needs to make sure he's strong enough to handle an unknown enemy.

Ultimately, our strength still needs to be increased!